How Granite Headstones are Made

Quarrying the Granite for Headstones

The Granite
Headstones you see in cemeteries are made from natural granite that was formed hundreds
of millions of years ago from molten lava. After cooling, granite
rock formations were formed throughout the world where many quarries
are now established. At these quarries huge blocks of granite
are extracted by means of drilling, blasting and sawing. The blocks
are then sent to a factory where automated saws and polishers
with the help of skilled workers cut and finish the stone for
different applications such as building materials, home furnishings and granite
headstones. When used as a grave memorial, skilled craftsman
and artists utilize the benefits of modern technology to create
a work of art that is worthy of memorializing a departed loved
one.

Design and Lettering Process

The process of creating a granite headstone
starts with a piece of granite that has already been cut to the
specified size and with the appropriate finish. In most instances
the surface to be engraved is polished. An artist lays on the
surface of the granite headstone a stencil made of rubber with
an adhesive backing in which the design and lettering has already
been transferred to. The artists will now cut the design and lettering
out with an artist's knife such as an X-Acto knife.

Today, many
companies are now using efficient computer stencil cutting machines
that allow for greater accuracy and higher volume output. When
the design and lettering is cut out from the stencil, the artist
will pull out the area of the design to be engraved thus exposing
the surface of the granite headstone to be carved.

Carving Granite Headstones

Granite headstones are placed in a sandblasting room for the final carving process.
A worker uses high air pressure and special sand forced through
a nozzle at the tip of the hose which then carves out the design and lettering. The area of the granite headstone
covered by the stencil is well protected. Sandblasting is very
much like erosion only at a very high rate of speed and in a controlled
environment. After sandblasting, the carved areas are colored
in black to provide contrast so the lettering and design
will stand out. The person sandblasting the granite headstone
will now put the finishing touches and prepare it for delivery